The Story of the ‘Venus of Campu Fiurellu’

On the land belonging to the town of A Grossa (south of Corsica), one can find just below the village, the Vaccil–Vecchiomenhir. Situated just 2km from Grossa, direction Sartène, the archaeological site of Alo–Bisucce can be detected, dating back to the Bronze Age (between 1300/1500BC). Discovered between 1963/65, and managed by Roger Grosjean, archaeologist, who had studied both the Filitosa and Cucuruzzu sites. Composed of a tower, that has fallen to pieces, shacks delimited by walls and a larger wall partially conserved, surrounding everything. Two fragments of statue menhir were also discovered on this site. In the centre which is of circular shape of 3,4m in diameter, traces of burnt clay slabs were found. Alo–Bisucce represents one of the rare examples of this presence in Corsica.

It is on the CampuFiurellu site (on the same land), that the Venus statuette was discovered; a feminine representation, resulting from the superposition of three volumes – respectively, the head, the chest and the lower part below the belt. Two triangles appear; the lower part suggests the pubic area, whilst the intermediate part, the breasts. The eyes, nose and mouth are represented by lines and circles. This accomplishment concerns the typology of statues in Sardinia, belonging to the Ozieri context (prehistorical culture, and late Neolithic that had developed in Sardinia between 4300/3700BC – name coming from the Ozieri region, within which the San Michele cave is found).

Two other statuettes come from illegal excavations; one at IsulacciudiFiumorbu, and the other in a shelter in the Sennola Valley (Bonifacio).

Both are original anthropomorphic productions, insofar as the first character represents a long-eared rabbit, whereas the second sees the arms and breasts processed in a naturalistic fashion. In the CapuPertusatu shelter, Forsyth Major* recovered a statuette made from local limestone and an engraved clay slab.

Insufficiency of production from the island opposed that of Sardinia nevertheless, the document statuette is an island reality, a necessary point to be taken into account. Remembering that these statuettes generally come from under rocks, which may have had funerary functions.

*(Charles Immanuel Forsyth Major: paleontologistandzoologist)

Interesting to note, the Venus is presently at the British Museum, and unexposed – maybe she will find her way back to her island ..